Leaning into the Wind: Andy Goldsworthy
U.K./Germany 2017

Opening 14 Dec 2017

Directed by: Thomas Riedelsheimer
Writing credits: documentary
Principal actors: Andy Goldsworthy, Holly Goldsworthy

This film revisits the life and work of the British land artist Andy Goldsworthy first documented in the film Rivers and Tides sixteen years ago and also directed by Thomas Riedelsheimer. Goldsworthy is known for thought-provoking installations and sculptures that accentuate objects and happenings in nature. For example, he extends reeds across a brook to underscore the way the water flows. More recently the work of this visionary artist has changed in a number of ways shown in the movie. He now works with his daughter Holly Goldsworthy, who obviously shares his way of viewing the world. The two work together in remarkable harmony in urban areas as well as those less altered by human intervention, giving us pause to think about what exactly nature is. They produce their ephemeral installations not only in the moors of England but all over the world, sometimes using enormous pieces of pretty intrusive machinery to do the job. And Goldsworthy now inserts his own body into his works, as, for example, when he confronts the wind with outstretched arms in the crown of a tree in search of what he calls a brief moment of balance and clarity.

This is an unusual and stimulating film for anyone interested in examining our relationship to nature in greater aesthetic and emotional depth. 93 minutes  (Pat Nevers)